These words were once spoken to me by an executive manager, who became a friend I respect greatly to this day:

Trust

Respect

Loyalty

Passion

Inspiration

I will never forget where the conversation occurred, and how it affected me going forward. They were “stamped” in his memory, and the commentary came straight from the heart:

An organization and specifically a sales team “achieving” these five words can mean great things are currently happening or are coming soon. On the flip side, if any or all or these words are “breached” by team members, well let’s just say things may not go as planned!

I have tried to write something very insightful utilizing these five words for at least four years now, but always have trouble.

I will leave it open to your interpretation.

What do these five words mean to you?

I just know that I get to a very good place in short order when I see those five words all in a row!

I recently watched a lot of the Olympics, and was thinking about this post the other day. Wanted to share it once again!

When I first heard this statement with respect to a professional hockey team’s play, I stopped in my tracks. On the surface, it seems like the same concept spun two different ways. Or is it?

Playing to win exudes confidence. There is nothing that can get in the way of the team and victory. They execute the game plan to perfection, and do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Mistakes may still happen, but they get back on track in a timely fashion. It is clear in their body language that nothing less than success will be accepted by everyone.

On the other hand, the team playing not to lose exudes tentativeness. Their primary goal is to not make mistakes and look foolish in front of teammates and coaches. In their minds, if they don’t make any mistakes, they should win. On paper that makes sense. Those who follow sports hear this often, but if the other team plays an all round better game, you will still lose. Body language supports the theory that they are just trying not to screw up, and it shows.

Take a moment and step back to think about your current sales or business role. Do you always feel like you are on top of your “game” and nothing can stop you? If you do, congratulations! If we are honest with ourselves, most of us go through phases when we lack confidence and just feel like everything we touch turns in to…. well not gold.

Do you notice when things are going well, mistakes and other challenges in your role do not take as big a tole on you? It seems no matter the size of the setback, you can move past it in record time. Now turn the tables. When things are not going well, and confidence is low, even the little things seem like huge issues. The world seems to be against you, and it is nearly impossible to get out of the funk.

Are you playing to win, or playing not to lose?

Are you afraid to make mistakes, and worry how it will look to teammates and management?

Or do you understand that mistakes happen, learn from them, and move on as quickly as possible?

Do you approach your role everyday with confidence, a bounce in your step, and the mindset of “I can do this?”

Or do you plod along as you always have; do the same things that you have always done, and just try not to screw up?

“Playing not to lose” is a career limiting decision (CLD). You will feel safe, and your results may be consistent, but your true potential will not be achieved. If you just sit back and watch, you will witness others getting all the glory!

“Playing to win” is a mindset. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Yankees, New England Patriots & Manchester United have not won all of those champions with the attitude of playing just to survive. Playing to win is imperative in anything that you do. It is an attitude that should make you feel unstoppable throughout your career.

This is a repost of my first blog entry on January 23, 2012! I have many new followers, so this is a great opportunity to get to know me a little better!

My name is Tim Mushey, and those who know me well call me “Moosh”. I have decided to start this blog with a “Get to Know Me” post so you will be able to understand where the inspiration for this content came from!

I have loved to lead, motivate and inspire others for as long as I can remember. I have often been told that I have the gift of gab, and always have something to say. One of my groomsmen described me best to the guests at my wedding,

“All you have to do is say hi to Tim on the phone or in person, and next thing you know, you have all the updates on the latest TV shows, sporting events, bands and current events. Speaking to him is like flipping channels with a remote control.”

And he’s right! I’m passionate about many things in life – music, sports, my family, friends and work – and I love to share information with everyone! I believe that if I had not battled a stuttering problem all of my life, I would have a career in TV sports broadcasting in some capacity. I often envisioned myself as a sports anchor growing up!

As the son of two teachers, education has always been important to me. I achieved a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree at the age of 22, and with my first “real job”, was managing a car rental branch by the age of 24. I took a little break after two and a half years in that fast paced business to travel to Australia and New Zealand. I was nervous leaving my family and friends, but a good friend of mine quit his job to do the same thing a few months before, and I thought that was an incredible idea! I ended up travelling for over 7 months, and the experience was better than I could have ever imagined. I made many life long friends from all over the world on that journey, and even managed to squeeze in some work experience selling encyclopedias – true story!

When I returned home in 1999, my career path lead me to outside sales and I have never looked back. It did not matter if I was selling mattresses, credit reports, electrical products, corporate parking programs or photocopiers, there was one commonality – I loved to sell! I had an exciting opportunity to manage a team of 10 reps and support staff with about 40% coverage of Canada in 2007, but changes occurred simultaneously within the organization, and I ended up declining the offer. To this day, I think back to what might have been, but deep down I know I made the right decision for my career and family. Being a Sales Manager was my dream job for many years.

Throughout the years since I completed my degree, I’ve realized that university was just the beginning of my education.So much of my success in sales didn’t come from what I’d read in text books, it has come from what I have learned in the field. Each role, and each account specifically has challenged me to grow each day. I have a wealth of knowledge, tools & systems that I am eager to share with others in sales, and those considering it as their profession in the future.

The internet has provided me with the ability to broadcast all over the world now. If I had affected lives in my own communities over the course of my life, why could I not affect lives everywhere in the future? I have learned to manage my stutter, and even though I still have to work on it daily, I am now ready to get in front of the camera, feel confident, and once and for all lose the words “self-conscious” from my vocabulary!

I hope you enjoy this blog. It truly comes from the heart, and was an absolute pleasure being involved in all aspects of its creation and its ever-changing content going forward!

WordPress has a very cool feature that sends a “Year In Review” summary of all the activity on my blog.

I have always been open about how things have gone with my blog and social media presence, so this is a FANTASTIC opportunity to share my results with you.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at TimMushey@gmail.com

Have an incredible week, and thanks for making 2013 a very memorable year!

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

I never thought being an assistant coach for my son’s six-year-old hockey team would be easy, but there is more to it then I thought!

I have learned many leadership lessons from the experience, and here are my favourites:

Patience – Many of these kids still sleep with teddy bears. They are very young and their development takes time

Encouragement – “High-Fives, pats on the back, and a “great job” goes a long way for their confidence

Focus On The Positive – We tend to focus on what is being done wrong, that we sometimes forget to reward what is being done right

“Sandwich Method” – Put a suggestion for an area of improvement between two positive comments

SMILE – Then laugh with them, and make them feel comfortable. It is truly about having fun, developing skills, and learning what it means to be part of a team

As I was writing this, I realized many of these points can be related to managing in the corporate world, or business in general. At least, I thought I could inspire other coaches who may need some new perspective!

If kids are not inspired by their coaches, there are many other activities that they can do these days. Each interaction with them is critical to building that connection.

Is it time to tweak your coaching, managing or general leading philosophies?

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Dynamic and energized sales rep, mentor and leader since 1999. This blog will be about sales, social networking, personal branding, leadership, music and having some laughs! Don’t be surprised if I mix it up on occasion though, and talk about something totally different! I thrive on being part of successful, forward thinking teams. I am ready to go from the moment my feet hit the floor each morning, with the expectation that new adventures will be coming my way. It is rare that there isn't a smile on my face, as I take it all in, and have some fun along the way!